More Mail Call
by 302pilot
Summary: Just a bit more fluff to add to the awesome round robin entitled "Mail Call" that Gib, MarenMary93, and Dlwells51 so kindly gave us, staring Gib's boys, GI Jack and of course, Mac. If you haven't already done so, hop on over to "Mail Call". This story picks up directly after Gib's final chapter so reading it would be very helpful.
1. Chapter 1

More Mail Call

By 302pilot

A/N: A huge thank you to Gib for creating these great characters and to MarenMary93 and Dlwells51 for adding to them so wonderfully thru the story "Mail Call". This is just a little offering to show my gratitude for your sharing your amazing talent for story telling with us! Enjoy!

This picks up right where Gib's "Mail Call" Chapter 9 ends...

Playfully cuffing Mac's shoulder, Jack wiped the moisture from his eye as he tilted his head to try to make eye contact with his friend. "Hey Bud—really, you're up. Our families are really grateful for all you do for us—"He leaned back in his chair and looked around the circle of friends. "And so are we. It might not always seem that way, but we love ya, little brother." With that, the room erupted with a chorus of "Amen's", "Damn strait's" and "couldn't do it without ya's".

Mac looked up and smiled, shaking his head. Jack knew he was embarrassed so he pushed him along.

"Now git opening those packages! We ain't got all day!"

Mac shyly looked at the guys, not really knowing what to say.

"Thanks you guys, really. This is…amazing." He laughed and reached for the medium sized package on the top of his pile. He looked around the circle, letting his eyes settle on the tallest soldier of the bunch.

"This one's from "Tordis—Mill Valley, California. " He gently shook the box, listening for any sound that may give away its contents.

"That'd be my folks. They love Mill Valley. Been there since they were born. Go ahead—open 'er up!" Coop said, his hopeful expression adding to Mac's curiosity.

Mac took out his knife and, taking his time, carefully sliced the packing tape along the edges. Opening the top revealed a letter addressed to "Specialist MacGyver", written in careful script. He placed the letter aside and looked underneath.

Coop practically jumped out of his chair. "Oh no. You have to read the letter first! Momma always explains in the letter what she's put in the box. Sometimes it's hard to figure out just what it is she's got in there."

Mac chuckled.

"Okay okay…" he said quietly and opened the letter. Clearing his throat dramatically, he started to read aloud.

' _Dear Specialist MacGyver—'_

Coop all of a sudden looked serious. Shaking his head, he interrupted Mac.

"I told them they could call you Mac, but my folks are old school and my mom said that the proper way to address someone you've never met was by their second name."

Mac looked up and smiled. "It's all good".

Coop settled back again, crossing his arms and stretching out his long legs. Boxer gave him a well-placed head slap and a look that easily said, "don't interrupt again". Coop feigned injury and scooted his chair farther away from the offending senior officer. Mac continued.

' _When our son Cooper told us that you didn't often receive packages from home, well, we were happy to send you some things to remind you of sunny California! He told us you were from Mission City—that's not far from our little town of Mill Valley! '_

Coop again felt obliged to clarify his mother's writing. Craning his neck, he leaned towards Mac, eyeing Boxer carefully.

"We're only about 3 hours South of Mission City". At this point he seemed more excited about his mother's letter than Mac was. Mac looked at him and laughed.

"I've actually been there. It's a really nice place" Mac said refocusing on the letter. Boxer gave Coop another head slap.

"Damn it, Box. That hurts!" He whined. Boxer just looked at him and shook his head.

"Stop with the comments and let the boy read or we'll never get to see what's in the box!" He settled back in his chair and waved his hand at Mac, giving him the floor once more.

' _Karl (Cooper's Dad) and I had a free weekend so we took a road trip to your lovely town and took some snap shots of things you may remember. We thought it would be fun for you to show Coop and the guys where you live—and we thought trying to figure out some of the less "obvious" landmarks would be a challenge and fill some of your free time hours.'_

Mac swallowed hard as he tried to process what Coop's parents had done for him. Mission City didn't have much going for it, but it was his home, a home he hadn't seen in more than two years, longer if you count being away at college. Pete was sitting next to him and noticed his hand start to shake. Putting his arm around his shoulder, he gently encouraged him on. "C'mon man. Let's get to the end so we can see those pictures she's talking about." Mac glanced up at him and nodded. Taking a deep breath he read on.

' _We had never been to your neck of the woods before so it was a nice weekend for us. We stayed in a quaint Bed and Breakfast right in the center of town which was run by a family from –of all places—Oslo! We chatted the night away (which, if you knew Coop's dad, was nothing short of a miracle!)'_

Coop couldn't help himself and quickly added, "She's so right. Pappa never says anything—just 'hello, how are ya.' That's it. He must have really enjoyed himself."

Boxer went to slap him again but he ducked and covered, leaning way over onto Duncan, out of Box's line of fire. Duncan pushed him away and glared at Boxer. "Gee, man. Leave him alone. Go ahead, Mac. Pay no mind to these idiots." He settled himself back in his chair as Mac smiled and again, read on.

' _We ate at Burger Nirvana (see photo) and walked along the river. It was a really nice weekend!_

 _We hope you enjoy the pictures and a few treats we picked up at Harper's Store in the center of town. When I mentioned your name, the young girl at the counter smiled and said she remembered you from school. Sorry, I can't recall her name. Oh, and I almost forgot—when I told Astrid (the owner of the Inn) why we were in the area, she sent along some homemade treats she had made special for you and wanted to thank you for your service as well. The cookies are full of special spices that will help to keep them fresh longer. Coop will remember them—I make them every year at Christmas time. I tried one of Astrid's—they are delicious!_

 _Anyway, thank you so very much for your service and for all you've done to keep our son safe (he's told us stories about your adventures!) We hope you enjoy a little something from home!_

 _Gud velsigne og vaere trygg—'_

 _Inga and Karl Tordis_

That last line Mac read with a perfect Norwegian accent. Box, Pete and Duncan shook their heads in amazement. Coop especially was taken aback. Jack was the only one who didn't look surprised.

"Tell them what it means" the Delta team leader said, smiling like a Cheshire cat. He knew Mac had a gift for a lot of things, languages being one of them.

Mac smiled and looked at his friends. "Gud velsigne—God bless—og vaere trygg—and stay safe."

Coop smiled and nodded proudly. "Consider yourself adopted. You'd fit right in at our house."

Mac smiled, gently folding the letter and sliding it into its envelope. He tucked it safely into the back pocket of his cargos and picked up the package.

Coop could just about contain his excitement. "Find the cookies first! I bet they're Pepperkaker."

Duncan did a double take. "Pepper what?" he asked, totally grossed out by the thought of pepper and 'kaka' in a cookie. Coop kicked him with his outstretched foot, rolling his eyes.

As Mac dug thru the box, he was about to explain the origin of Pepperkaker and the scientific reason why they were known to stay fresher longer, when his hand touched a smooth, hard object. He furrowed his brow, wondering what it could be. Glancing over at Coop, he pulled the dark wooden form from the packing paper. Holding it in his outstretched palm, a slow smile spread across his face.

Coop recognized it first and got up, crossing the circle and taking the object to study it more closely.

"Yep. That's Pappa's work alright. Pretty cool, eh?" He proudly placed it back on Mac's hand. "Takes him hours to carve something like that. If I know him, it's his way of saying thank you."

Jack saw Mac's total lack of response and quickly jumped in to help.

"What is it, buddy? Looks like-"

Mac found his voice and smiled. "It's the EOD insignia."

Running his fingers over the intricately carved wreath and lightning bolts, Mac was amazed at the workmanship.

"I'm….wow. He's really talented. That's a really special gift. Thank you, Coop."

Coop went back to his chair and smiled at his friend. "I'm sure he enjoyed making it for you. It's what he does."

Mac passed the precious treasure around the circle, each person examining it and admiring Coop's father's handiwork.

As the carving continued to circulate around the room, Mac pulled a pile of pictures out of the box. He started flipping thru them, smiling and nodding. Jack got up and stood behind him, looking over his shoulder as Mac thumbed thru the photos. One by one the guys all gathered around, looking at the different scenes from Mac's hometown as Mac narrated. When he had gotten thru the pile, he carefully placed them back in the box as the guys all went back to their seats.

"Looks like a great place to grow up" Coop commented, taking his seat and stretching out once again.

Mac cleared his throat, wiping a 'speck of dust' out of his eye. "Ya, it was. Still is. Makes me want to go back real soon" he said, pulling out a cookie tin and a few bags of popcorn.

"There's the good stuff. 479 Degrees popcorn. That is just the best stuff in the world!" Coop said, diving across the circle so he could see what flavor it was.

Wrapping his body around the pile of goodies, Mac turned away so Coop couldn't get at it. "Oh no. This is for me! Toasted Sesame and Seaweed is my favorite flavor! Hand's off big guy!" Mac said, laughing. Coop looked devastated as he slunk back to his seat. "It's my favorite too. Geesh. Mamma never sent me seaweed popcorn". He feigned disappointment, but smiled at the young EOD, truly happy for him.

Mac stuffed the popcorn back into the box and pried the tin of cookies opened. Taking one he sampled it, nodding his approval. Passing it around the circle, he watched as the group of big, tough Delta operators very gently selected a thin, delicate cookie. Coop closed his eyes and chewed slowly, savoring the spicy flavors and enjoying its crisp goodness.

"Mmmmmm. Just like Mamma's. Miss Astrid is a good cook!" Coop complimented as he reached for a second cookie.

The tin finally made its way back to Mac, who immediately took a handful of the gingery treats. As he looked around the room, he was filled with a warmth he couldn't quite explain. These guys, this crazy bunch of soldiers, had accepted him as family. Even more amazing, they had shared their families with him. He had never been on the receiving end of such generosity and he was at a loss for what to say.

Coop looked over and saw Mac grinning, looking at each of them, then to the pile of packages he had still to open. "Well, little brother. I hope you liked your surprise. I know my folks loved doing it for you."

Mac got up, crossed the circle and, stopping in front of the place Coop was sitting, crouched down in front of him and looked him square in the eyes.

"Hey, man…I don't know what to say. Thank you. So much. I really appreciate it." He extended his hand for a hand shake, but Coop grabbed it and pulled him in for a hug.

"Glad to do it, brother. My folks too."

When the guys saw the uncharacteristic display of affection, they all started teasing. Soon wadded packing paper was flying back and forth and the room became a war zone of flying projectiles. Making his way back to his chair, he noticed Jack just sitting, watching with a huge smile on his face.

"I have a feeling you had something to do with all this" Mac said, gesturing to the pile of packages yet to be opened.

Jack crossed his arms and leaned over so Mac could hear him over the riot going on around them.

"You deserve it, pal. We just wanted you to know you are appreciated."

Mac smiled and looked around the room, then back to the box of pictures and special treats.

"Ya, I'm feeling it. Thanks, Jack."

The team leader nodded his head then clapped his hands together.

"C'mon now. These ain't gonna open themselves. Who's next?"

Mac sat down and reached for another package….

The end…at least for now.

A/N 2: Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! I know I can never write these guys as well as Gib and friends, but I hope I did them justice. Thank you, Gib, for letting me play in your sand box! What a great bunch of guys!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Once again, a huge thank you to Gib and MarenMary for lending me the boys and for sharing some of Pete's family with me. It's just so much fun to play in their sandbox!

More Mail Call

Chapter 2

After the paper stopped flying, Mac took his seat again and reached for the next package on the pile. This one was a bit smaller, but sloshed heavily to one side when Mac shook it slightly.

"Who's it from?" Duncan asked, anxious to see who was next. The delta operators settled down and gave Mac their attention once again. Each friend was excited, not only because their team mate was finally getting to open something, but because each of their families had sent a package special for Mac-and anything from home was a welcome distraction—a reminder of what they were fighting for, of the people they loved and who loved and missed them.

A bit confused, Mac smiled as he read off the return address.

"O'Malley, Arthur Ave, New York, New York". He looked around the circle of friends, hoping someone would recognize the name.

Sitting next to him, Pete perked up and smiled. "Hey—that's Auntie Gi—you'd love her. She is just the best. She's the reason why I love to read—"

Mac looked at him, pointing to the hand written name on the box. "O'Malley? I thought you said your family was Italian?"

Boxer rolled his eyes. Leaning over, he whispered in Coop's ear. "For crying out loud—he had to ask. We're gonna be here for awhile."

Coop rocked back in his chair and smiled. "The kid doesn't know what he just started…"

Pete laughed and took the box from Mac. Staring at her name lovingly, he gently ran his finger over the words 'Arthur Avenue'. "Autie G married her high school sweetheart, who happened to be Irish. Uncle George was a great guy—but the family never really accepted him, which was a shame, because she really loved him. Aunt Giola was heartbroken when he died…." His eyes drifted a bit, lost in a memory. He quickly pulled himself back and smiling, handed the box back to Mac. Accepting the package, Mac pulled out his knife and slit the sides open while Pete continued.

"She never remarried, so she kinda threw herself into the Pastry shop where she's been working for years. My mom's family owns it, and she and Nona Rosa are tight. Aunt Lucia works there too, so the three of them…." He laughed, shaking his head slowly from side to side. It was then that he looked up and noticed his audience. Each operator was feigning sleep, legs outstretched, arms crossed, head flopped to the side. A collective snore rose from the circle.

Mac laughed and pulled some of the stuffing out of the box. Looking around the circle of sleeping Deltas, he removed a tin and shook it gently. "I guess all these awesome Italian Pastries are for you and me, Pete." He said loudly. Jack's eyes flew open as he bolted upright, the rest of the guys doing the same.

"Did she send Biscotti this time? Or Pizzelle?"

"Oh man, those Biscotti are to die for."

"Maybe there's a Panettone in there….That stuff is good even if it's stale."

"I'd take stale Panettone over mess hall crap any day."

Mac smiled listening to the comments as he opened the tin. "Looks like….Pizzelle and Biscotti."

Pete leaned over and nodded his head. "Yup. Kinda broken up, but I bet it still tastes amazing." Reaching in, he took a large broken piece of golden pastry and motioned with his head for Mac to take some too. Mac gave him a side long look and huffed.

"Remember who Aunt Gi sent these to, man." Pulling the tin out of Pete's reach, he took a handful of broken Biscotti and passed the tin to Jack. Jack's eyes lit up as he smelled the tasty confections.

"Mmmmmm. La Zia Giola fa le migliori pasticcerie" he said casually. Taking some treats he passed the tin to Duncan.

"What?" Mac said, choking on his cookie. Boxer eyed him from the other side of the circle and started to laugh.

"Wyatt buddy, you are a man of mystery—where did you EVER learn to speak Italian?"

"I taugh 'im" Pete offered, spitting cookie crumbs at Mac. The EOD specialist leaned out of the line of fire and brushed the crumbs from his shirt.

Pete chewed and swallowed what was in his mouth and continued. "It was on that op a few months back when we were stuck on that mountain, just me and him for 3 days. We didn't have much else to do so I taught him some Italian. He's a quick learner." Jack smiled proudly as he munched on his cookies.

"Never thought I'd hear 'Jack' and 'quick learner' in the same sentence" Coop added, selecting his cookie and passing the tin back to Pete. That earned him a face full of package stuffing thrown from across the circle. He ducked and covered, shielding his precious cookies from the live fire.

"I'm impressed, Jack. Really" Mac said as he reached around inside the box. Pulling out another smaller package he turned it to read the address. "Here's one from Becky Santorro". Looking over at Pete, he smiled a sly smile. "Maybe there's cards in there for me? Pink ones?" he said sheepishly.

Pete punched him hard in the arm and took the smaller package from his friend and shook it. "Fat chance. She's my girl, end of story. I'm sure it's just some candy bars or something. "

Rubbing his wounded arm, Mac grabbed the package away from him and flipped it over. Noticing a pink sticker on the bottom, he smiled and squinted to see the fancy emblem. "Wow. Pete. Victoria's Secret. What HAS she been up to while you've been away?"

Pete lunged for the box as Mac pulled it away. The circle of guys didn't miss a beat, all adding their 'whoops' and 'whoa's' to the chorus of loud Delta ribbing.

"Hey. She's just being environmentally responsible, reusing the box that I'm sure she got when she….ordered a wedding gift for her sister….."

Jack smiled and leaned over and around Mac to look Pete in the eye. "You're reaching, bud. It's ok—I'm sure whatever you sent her was…..tasteful. Victoria has classy stuff."

Mac threw Jack a nervous glare as his cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink. "I don't think I really want to know how you know that."

"Don't worry. I won't tell you." Jack answered, grinning like a cheshire cat. Leaning back and crossing his arms across his chest, he motioned, "Open it up and see what she sent already."

Mac was all too happy to move on, cutting the tape on the small box and opening the flaps. Inside was a camo colored bandana wrapped around a stack of something. Mac pulled it out of the box and looked at the odd package.

"Here, let me help you—" Pete offered, only to have his hand swiped away by Mac. "I got it—thanks" he said smiling. "I'm sure she'll send YOU something in the next mail run."

Pete pulled back and slid down his chair, crossing his arms and pouting like a little boy.

"I think our boy is jealous!" Duncan teased, throwing a wadded up piece of packing paper at Pete. The medic just pouted more.

Mac untied the knot at the top of the make shift package and let it flop open on his lap. It was then that he noticed that the bandana was covered by hand written messages, written in different colored sharpie markers. The writing looked to be from kids. Pete leaned over and, seeing the writing, grinned from ear to ear.

"Becky's a third grade teacher. I bet that's from her class." A collective "Awwww" rose from the circle.

"What does it say?" Jack asked, leaning over to see the bandana. Mac lifted out a pile of hand drawn pictures, all done in crayon with the caption, "To Mac, from_" He held up the bandana and turned it from side to side. Squinting at the different words, he read "Be safe, thank you for protecting us, Dear Mac do you get to blow things up? Dear Mac I hope the sun isn't too hot, I hope you can come home soon". He smiled when he saw a message from Becky written along the perimeter of the bandana.

"This one's from Becky. Dear Mac—thank you for keeping my Pete safe. Hope this keeps the sun off your head. The kids picked it out themselves. God bless and stay safe. From Miss Santorro's 3rd grade class, PS 105, New York."

Mac smiled as he gently laid the bandana over his knee and picked up the pile of drawings. Pete and Jack leaned over and looked on as Mac thumbed thru the pile.

"Now you have something to decorate the barracks" Jack joked. Duncan hit him broadside with a paper ball just as Mac stopped at a picture drawn by a girl named Taylor. It was a picture of three soldiers in uniform, one with a red cross on his sleeve, the other standing in front of a helicopter holding his helmut and another soldier kneeling over a large black box with wires sticking out in all directions. The kneeling soldier was labeled "Mac", the medic was labeled "Mr. DeLusio" and the other soldier was labeled "Daddy". Across the bottom it said in different colored letters, "Thank you Mr. Mac".

Mac stared at the drawing with a sad smile. Pete reached over and ruffled the kid's hair, giving him a playful push.

"See? We're not the only ones who appreciate what you do." He craned his neck, trying to read the name of the artist. "I bet….Taylor…..misses her Dad."

Jack noticed Mac's lack of response and looked over at the drawing. He smiled and put a calloused hand on the kid's shoulder. "Hey, bud. Anything else in that box? You still have a few left to open."

Mac sighed, placing the drawings back on his lap. He reached back in the box, feeling around thru the packing paper to see if there was anything left. Pete looked over, smiling as he waited patiently for something he evidently knew Mac would find at the bottom. Finally, amid packing peanuts and paper, Mac pulled out a real Italian sausage. He held it up and Pete cheered.

"Oh man, they pulled out all the stops! Sopresetta!" he said, reaching for the tasty snack.

"No way, buddy." Mac pulled the box away, reaching around in the box again and pulling out a chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and a small box of crackers.

"Send it all over here!" Duncan yelled, getting up to inspect the spicy treasure and its tasty companions. Mac quickly dropped them back in the box and held it tightly to his chest.

Duncan stopped mid circle. "Hey! When Pete gets one of those he always shares it with us! That's not fair!" The disgruntled Delta trudged back to his chair, eliciting a kick from Coop sitting next to him. "You know Mac-He'll share it all. Just let him have his moment."

Coop smiled knowingly at the young EOD, watching him take the cheese and salami back out of the bag and inspect the wrapping. Pete looked it over and smiled.

"Yup. That's the best Pop has in the shop. Dry aged to perfection. That and the cheese together…..all we need is a loaf of crusty bread and some wine and we're back on Arthur Avenue!"

Mac smiled at his enthusiasm and the fond memories Pete had of his home and family. Taking out his pocket knife, he sliced open the salami's wrapper and, cutting off a chunk, savored its spicy goodness.

"That's awesome, man. All of it. Thank you—" Mac said shyly, cutting off another piece and passing the meat to Pete. Grabbing his knife from his boot, the medic licked his lips and sliced off a small piece, popping it in his mouth.

"Mmmmmm. Molto bene…." He said, chewing slowly to savor the treat. Passing it to Coop, Pete leaned around Mac to say something to Jack, but realized he was gone.

"Where'd our fearless leader get to? I didn't even see him go."

Mac laughed. "Ya, Jack's good at that. It must be a Delta thing…" Looking into the box, he made sure he didn't miss anything and put the drawings, cookie tin and bandana back in with the cheese and crackers. Just as the salami was getting to Duncan, Jack burst into the room in full gear.

"Hate to ruin the party but we just got called up. Got some guys in trouble. Wheels up in 10. Let's go ladies!" Immediately everyone jumped up and went for the door. Duncan tried to slip the salami in his shirt, but Mac grabbed it from him before he could hide it.

"Oh, man! I didn't get any!"

Mac quickly stuffed it in the box. "I'll save you some, Dunc. And some cheese. It'll give you something to look forward to when we get back."

Duncan pouted but wrapped an arm around Mac's shoulders as they pushed thru the door. "Thanks bud" He said, taking off at a run to the tac room. Mac caught up to Pete just as they got to the barracks and grabbed his arm.

"Hey, thank you—that was really kind of your family and I appreciate it."

Pete grinned as he opened the door for his team mate. "Maybe when all this is over we can meet in New York. Becky and I can show you around. We'll eat at the deli, you can meet my folks and we'll do the city in style!"

Mac smiled and shrugged. "Sure. Sounds great." As he made his way over to his bunk to gear up, Pete yelled from the other side of the room.

"I've got this cousin—Donna Fran—you guys would be perfect together! She works with Becky at the school…."

Coop threw a sock ball at Pete and turned to Mac, shaking his head. "He'll go on all day, bud. Before you know it, you'll be part of the family!"

Mac smiled, glancing at Pete fondly. "That actually sounds like a lot of fun."

The end…until next time!


End file.
